The Significance Of K
by Squeaker-Dee
Summary: Entry for Mika's contest. Kishu wasn't always what he is now, he was the complete opposite. And all he wants is a place away from where he is was then, will he get it? Or will his path take him somewhere else?
1. Chapter 1

Entry for Mika's contest.

The Prologue was originally going to be longer but if I did add the rest on it would have been too long and also I like having epicness and cliff-hangers too.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything TMM related. Basic Plot line isn't mine either

Well, enjoy.

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Prologue

The darkness was frightening in this place and he found it especially chilling. He was caged up in a small room with four, filthy walls and a set of rusted, bloodied manacles in the farther corner of the room. Outside the tiny window, he could see nothing but the blackness and the metallic mesh that sat over the glass. He found the place so claustrophobic that he barely managed to find the room to allow his lungs to expand and welcome in the refreshing air that stank of cleaning substances.

Tonight, there was a suspicious taste of metal in the air and an eerie silence to follow it. He knew better than to welcome in the silence, even at his young age. He had been there long enough to know that the silence was never a good sign around here. It seemed that everyone had the same churning he had in his stomach as the sounds of shoes had rippled through the air hours earlier. It had been two young men, one blonde and the other brunette, stalking after a doctor who showed them up a certain path. The boy himself didn't know what the men were talking about, but it was something big.

And it would probably have something to do with one of them.

_Tonight,_ he told himself, _tonight someone will vanish. _Curling up into a tight ball, the boy pressed himself further back into his room, not wanting him to be the victim of the night. He would either enter and never come back out, or he'll come back out a changed person. He accepted the fact that if he was chosen, it would more than likely be the first point – nobody would want to keep him, right? He wasn't useful to anyone, right?

Upon his mental notes, there was a loud click of a heavy lock opening from a metallic door – his door. His eyes flushed with panic and he brought his legs out, kicking his small frame back and back until he bumped into the cold wall. He shivered upon the sight of the doctor dressed in his clean, white uniform and the flicker of blonde behind him. The blonde man was alone this time – minus the doctor – and stood at the door with his arms folded, his azure eyes riddled with malice and curiosity.

"That one?" He questioned, nodding his head in the young boy's direction as he cowered in the corner. The doctor smiled and nodded, his yellowed teeth flashing darkly.

"Yes. He's got the right type you want. Though, you might wanna ignore his..." The doctor trailed off. He spun to the blonde and pointed a crooked finger to his ears, before he turned back to the boy, still trying to back off from the pair as much as he could. The doctor strode over to him, crouching down and hauling the boy up by his dark hair. The little boy winced and thrashed out at the man, who held the boy out a distance, threatening to hoist him up off the ground. "Rascal, ain't he? I suppo-"

"Don't hurt him. I want him to go through with this untainted" The blonde commanded in a cool tone, adjusting the collar of his black shirt. The doctor stammered for a while, trying to explain something to the blonde, who clearly wasn't listening. The blonde stared at the small boy for a moment, before turning and stalking out and into the dim corridor.

The boy blinked, unsure of what was happening as the doctor's firm grip on him vanished and was now a simple hand pressed lightly onto his shoulder, beckoning for him to carry on. The boy surprisingly obliged to go on, stepping at a fast pace out of his room and into the atmosphere of the world outside. The doctor seemed somewhat surprised at first, his misshapen face creasing as he looked down the bridge of his nose at the boy. He noticed the boy glancing around rapidly, as if searching for something. This continued until they landed on the blonde male. The doctor grimaced. _The man who showed him some kindness, of course he'd be eager to follow suit, _the doctor concluded.

The boy raced after the blonde, almost slipping over on the tiled flooring as he pursued him. The blonde didn't seem to notice him as he continued out of the corridor and down the descending stairs. That is, until he felt a tug on the back of his shirt. The older male froze and glanced over his shoulder, looking as though he was expecting something or someone else – until his eyes landed on the small boy.

The blonde blinked and examined him. He actually never got a good look at the boy when locked up in his cell, but now he could see everything clearly. The boy looked about six, maybe seven and reached just up to his hips. Thick, black hair stuck out in several directions, only some strands clinging to his sweat ridden face. His blue eyes were slightly glazed over, yet the blonde could still see the desperation inside of them. Dressed up in a white shirt that was far too big for him and a little pair of shorts underneath, the boy matched the dress code of the place completely – minus the belts being snaked around him. He could also see the point the doctor was making when he motioned to his ears – there weren't any. Instead, two stumps stuck out on either side of his head, plastered over with white bandages.

"This child is-"

"He can still hear you" The doctor spoke, finally catching up to the pair.

The blonde looked up to the doctor and then back down to the boy, whose grip was growing more firm by the minute.

"But barely though, the whole of his ears aren't there, minus what remains of the channel and his ear drums – although they are damaged. It's a wonder that he can hear anything at all" The doctor spoke professionally, cleaning his glasses on his white coat as he did.

"Then, why is he locked up here?" The blonde questioned, looking at the boy with kindness.

The doctor scoffed. "No offence, sir, but society these days won't allow it – you know what it's like. You're not perfect enough, if there's something noticeably missing, you're mad, that's how it goes" The doctor spoke with fake sympathy as he eyed the near death boy.

The blonde turned away, not at all bothered by the boy clinging onto him and proceeded down the stairs, ensuring to keep a pace that was safe to the small child. The three continued down the stairs, ignoring doors that passed into other corridors. Some of these doors were bordered up in such a way that only staff could go inside. The little boy clung tighter to the blonde as they passed these doors, all echoing with eerie voices and noises. Sometimes, the doctor would bang his fist on the doors and order silence from those on the other side, very rarely getting quiet as a reply. The little boy noticed the old man's eyes flare up with rage as his fist hit the doors and pushed himself to have a tighter hold on the blonde.

"This is it" The blonde eventually spoke as they, finally, approached the end of the staircase. Before them, dead on the end of the stairs, stood a huge, metal door. The door was covered in mesh and barricaded with several signs portraying words such as "Do not disturb" and "Specialised Personnel Only". There was no light in the place outside the door at all, not even in the small gap beneath it. It was just complete blackness. As the blonde stepped hastily towards the door, pulling the boy involuntarily with him, the doctor who had plucked the child from his room disappeared off into the darkness and left with the sounds of his heels tapping against each step, slowly fading away later.

The boy looked behind him, gawking up at the tower of stairs above him, before whimpering and burying his face into the other male's back. The blonde sighed, twisted the door-knob and hauled the heavy door open. "I've brought one, the doctor said he's the type we want" He announced to what seemed to be thin air.

Peeking past the blonde, the child surveyed his new surroundings as the door slammed shut behind him. There was light in the room after all, though it was rather dim and gave the air a cold feeling. Before the two of them sat two desks, all piled up with different heaps of paper and used pens scattered across their wooden skin. Behind them stood a long, thin table stacked up with open books, glass vials with different coloured liquid within them and a variety of clothing and clothing materials. There stood a man. He seemed rather tall, a bit taller than the blonde man and had chocolate coloured hair that sat between his pointed shoulder blades in a ponytail. He was dressed up in a black shirt, just like the blonde man; however he allowed his sleeves to roll all the way down to his wrists, unlike the blonde who had them to his elbows. He also had a smart, black tie on too and a pair of clean, ironed trousers.

The brunette turned to them, a thick pair of glasses on his nose and a vial in his hand. He smiled. "Well, how about that for timing, Ryouta. It is ready just now" He spoke, a proud tone reeking in his fragranced breath. The blonde, Ryouta gave his friend a small smile and a nod. He turned and crouched down to the boy, placing his hand's onto his shoulders. With a flicker of his blue eyes, he read the name tag that was sewn onto the boy's shirt: "Child K".

Ryouta ruffled K's hair lightly and rose back to his feet, grasping the boy's hand tightly. Together, they marched across the room and behind the lengthy table enveloped in test tubes and clothing. Behind the table there were a few beds, all with leather, belt-like, straps lying across them. K stopped and took a timid step back. Ryouta immediately turned to him. "It's OK," he spoke, moving his mouth in such a way that the boy could try to read his words. "You're the right type, you shouldn't feel anything. Don't worry, I'm going to run some tests to make doubly sure that you are – with your consent of course" Ryouta finished his sentence, his lips pursing to a close as the boy nodded, looking as though he didn't understand at all but was still willing. It was better than being locked up in one, lonesome room for the night.

At that moment, Ryouta tucked his hands under the boy's shoulders and hoisted him up, spinning him around and setting him onto the edge of the bed. The boy sat with his hands between his knees and legs kicking back and forth freely. Ryouta turned to the brunette, producing a piece of cotton from his trouser pocket and holding it out. The brunette retrieved a near-by vial and tilted its contents onto the cotton before retreating back slightly. Ryouta then turned back to the boy, pressing the cotton against the inside of the boy's arm and rubbing it in circles afterwards.

Only seconds later did the blonde accept something that scarred K from the brunette. A syringe. He scrambled back on the bed, stopping when his body rocked and nearly fell back over off the bed. As Ryouta approached him, his head shook vigorously, more of his dark hair sticking to the sweat on his face. This time, instead of offering comfort, Ryouta nodded his head towards little K and the brunette swept over, grasping the boy's shoulders securely and held him still. Ryouta took the boy's wrist and pulled his arm towards him. K squirmed and closed his eyes, teeth gritting, waiting for pain. Only for none to come.

K glanced at his arm and rubbed at it where blood seeped out as Ryouta and his companion did studies on the blood that they had taken. A smile soon crossed their lips.

"It's perfect" Ryouta commented, glancing at K. "At last; the first mew trial is in order"


	2. Black, Blonde and Ginger

Yay, first chapter time!

I don't own anything TMM related, but I do own any OCs

Enjoy.

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**Chapter One: Black, Blonde and Ginger**

This new world was completely alien to him. Everything about it was so organised, quiet and bright. The house itself was huge in its body and held within its walls what, to him, would be described as hidden treasures – things that were forbidden in his last home. On arrival, he was granted the pleasure of having his own – large – bedroom, which was so much more than padded walls and heavy metallic doors. The bed was gigantic, fit for so many more people other than himself and the satin silk sheets were fit for a king and then some. An impressive bookshelf stood by the side of his bed, compact with several books with different titles and arranged in such a way that when he would grow older his eyes would be level with books fit for his age. A tall, old grandfather clock sat far across the room, opposing the bookshelf, it had rusted metal swirling around the crown shaped head and a pendulum swung side to side lethargically, swaying steadily with the tick of the clock. Just staring over at it was enough to give anyone the lazy feeling. Off to the side of both clock and shelf were the opened windows, complete with flowing, thin curtains. The soft breeze could be felt even from the farthest end of the room. Standing next to the window gave one a clear view of the grassy plain that the family owned and had been passed down over time. At the time there was little material in the room and there was mostly opened space, but who could blame them; they weren't expecting a permanent guest after all.

Ecstatic at his new environment, he bolted into the room and spun around, arms held wide at his sides. It was brand new to him and he was so excited about it too, he had a new place to sleep, eat and play. He laughed as he spun around, his sticky black hair flying and his tatty clothes hanging loosely around him, almost reframing from moving in such an alien environment.

"I'm glad you like it, it's yours from now on" A male voiced said coolly, causing the boy to freeze and turn towards the door, grinning madly. It was the blonde man who had taken him down to that room before, where something happened to him. Ryouta his name was. He was dressed up in his typical black shirt and trousers, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows and a few buttons of his shirt undone in the heat. "This room isn't much, I know, but it'll do for now. OK, Kale?" He asked, rubbing his forehead and glancing around the room.

Suddenly, Ryouta felt something tackle at his stomach. The blonde gasped in surprise and looked down, finding the little boy hugging at him, smiling brightly. Ryouta couldn't help but smirk and ruffle the boy's dark hair.

Kale. That's what he decided to name him the moment they took him down to that basement and that thing happened. Although the named didn't really possess any meaning towards the boy's personality or position, it was more of a spur of the moment thing, but the boy loved it none-the-less.

Ryouta pushed the boy away lightly and bent down, his eyes levels with the boy's dark, almost empty ones. "Listen; there are some people I want you to meet as soon as we get you cleaned up. There's more people living here than just me and you. OK?" He asked in a soft, yet firm voice. The boy tilted his head to the side, looking as though he didn't understand. But soon enough, he smiled and nodded, looking as bright as he did when they first came to the house. The blonde ruffled his hair, smirking still. "Atta boy. Well, first things first, let's get you washed and dressed better before you meet up with them"

Ryouta took the boy out of his room and down the lengthy, broad corridors, the heels of his boots clicking on the marble floor and the boy's feet padding in time with him. Every now and then, the tall blonde would glance over his shoulder, double-checking on the boy, always finding him smiling widely and looking curiously around his home, the light in his eyes gradually returning to him. Ryouta was glad at this reaction. When he first decided to bring the boy to his home, he was afraid that he'd be reluctant and it would take a long, long time for him to get used to the new home he was in and the new behaviours that would be expected of him. Yet, luckily, he seemed to adjust fine and wasn't as shy as Ryouta had first thought in the least. It was obvious that the environment he was in had an effect on him and Ryouta knew he would have to remember that for future purposes.

After passing several doors and wondering down different corridors, the pair soon reached their destination; the bathroom. Everything in the room – almost – was made out of crystal clear glass that would reflect ones image perfectly. The tiles were white and had a bright shine to them. And the soft, almost silk like, towels were folded up neatly by the base on the tall sink. The taps of both the tub and sink were golden and looked as though they'd give blessing to heavenly water that was cool whenever they were too hot and warm whenever they were too cold.

Ryouta glided over the room and towards the wide bathtub and Kale gaped at the room, his mouth opened in a wide smile and he nodded his head, impressed. There was a soft squeak, followed by the sound of rushing water. Kale's head flicked over to Ryouta, who was pouring some pink coloured liquid from a bottle into the bath. Curiously, Kale swayed over and peered into the bath, finding the pink liquid turning into frothy bubble with a delightfully sweet smell to them. Kale couldn't grasp what the smell was and turn to Ryouta who still held the bottle in hand. On the bottle was on image of some so of red food with a green stalk and seeds stuck into the skin of it. Kale tilted his head and his brows dropped in thought. He didn't remember getting any – what he assumed was – food like at his past home.

Ryouta noticed the boy's gaze and turned the bottle towards him, looking at the picture. "It's a strawberry" He told him, his voice somewhat bewildered. Kale pulled a face that showed he didn't get what he was talking about at all. Ryouta blinked. "You've never eaten a strawberry before?" He questioned quirking a brow. Kale shook his head. Then, Ryouta grinned. "OK then, that settles what we're going to have for lunch today – a nice big bowl of fresh strawberries. What do you think?" His grin widened as the boy nodded enthusiastically.

"Good then. But first let's get you out of those clothes so you can get cleaned" Ryouta said in a kind tone. The boy looked down at his filthy shirt and pulled on it, as if inspecting it for any dirt. His fingers then let go of the shirt and he shrugged his arms at Ryouta. Ryouta frowned, although he was struggling not to smile as the boy grinned cheekily at him. "Oh no you don't, you're getting a wash whether you like it or not" Ryouta went to grab the boy, who dodged out of the way and opened his mouth, laughing a little. Ryouta fell onto his knees. His eyes darted in Kale's direction and a small smirk came to his features as the boy stuck his tongue out at him.

The blonde turned and sat on his rear, clapping his hands before opening his arms to the boy. "Seriously now, I want to get you washed. Then we can get you new clothes and them bandages changed" He said, motioning towards the stubs he had for ear towards the end. Kale reached up and tenderly brushed against the stubs. Ryouta sighed. It was a shame for the boy, he knew that he was embarrassed or annoyed by the lack of ears and Ryouta felt pity for him at that. Yet, he still couldn't help but feel proud for the boy. He could still hear and that's all that mattered.

For a while, Kale stood still, his hands covering up the stubs. Ryouta half expected for him not to come and he would have to get him in the bath himself. However, soon enough Kale bolted over to Ryouta and wrapped his arms around his neck. The blonde gasped in shock and then chuckled, patting the boy's back as his lifted him up, wrapping an arm under his legs and holding him close as he stood up. Ryouta reached over the bath and turned the tap off, taking in the scent of strawberries for a second. He dipped his free hand into the water, checking its temperature before putting the boy in, making sure he was stood up on his feet as his clothes were still on. Ryouta helped Kale take his shirt off and Kale managed the rest himself. For a while, Kale simply stood there in his pride before slowly lowering himself into the bath.

Ryouta grabbed the sponge from the edge of the tub and began to scrub at Kale's skin, the bubbles that sat on the sponge turning black after only a few scrubs. "You're filthy" The blonde muttered after several minutes of cleaning. On side of the boy's chest and his arm were completely clean and it was too easy to see which side of him was now clean and which wasn't.

After a while the boy's body was clean, minus his face. Ryouta rinsed out the sponge of any muck before he dunked it in the bath water and went to clean the boy's face. Kale's eye clenched shut as Ryouta scrubbed at a cheek. Ryouta looked completely emotionless as he scrubbed the boy clean, until some of the water splashed into his face, giving it an element of shock. He gasped and shook his face several times before looking at Kale, who had a mischievous look in his half-cleaned face.

Ryouta frowned and his eye brows furrowed. Kale's face fell as the blonde glared at him. At first the young boy was expecting to get told off or something, until something splashed in his own face. Kale blinked in surprise and turned to Ryouta who was grinning and had a hand in the water, looking ready to splash him again. Kale's cheeks reddened. If it was a competition that he wanted, it was competition he would get.

And then the water fight began.

--- A water fight and some more washes later ---

Kale tugged on the white shirt that Ryouta put him in. It was a little too big for him, the sleeves to be rolled up to his elbows and pinned in place and the tail-end of his shirt tucked into his dark three-quarters, preventing it from getting in the way at all. The shoes he was given, however, did fit him nicely. They were burgundy trainers with bright, white laces and a picture of a blue dog on the outside heel of one of them. Although the shoes didn't go well with the outfit he had on, it was all that could be offered at the time. Ryouta noted that he would have to go shopping; the clothes he had that were close to fitting Kale were still a bit too big.

Once he was dressed, Ryouta took the liberty of doing the boy's now washed hair. It was a bit long, reaching past the boy's chin and Ryouta knew he wouldn't suit it short, but on such a hot day, hair his length and colour would heat up his neck and face. So, the blonde pulled it to the back of the boy's head and tied it securely in a piece of string. He frowned as some pieces of hair still fell from the ponytail and hugged at the boy's cheeks, but it would have to do for the time being. Also, the bandages were removed from his ears, leaving the skin out to breathe some air for a change. Although Kale didn't like the idea of it at all, Ryouta told him he'd have to get use to people seeing them and how he needed the skin to have some air for a while.

He then took the boy through the house and out into the garden. The fresh air was hot and sticky today as the blazing sun rolled playfully in the cloudless sky. The garden itself was huge. To one side of it there was a large frame built of well sliced wood, it had four swings on metal chains, a slide and different climbing frames – a play area for children. Opposing that there were a few picnic benches all with their white umbrellas open and shading the benches from the blinding sun. Then, in the distant end of the garden stood several gatherings of lush shrubbery. It was a maze.

Ryouta narrowed his eyes and placed his hand over his brow, his eyes scanning the garden for something. "I could have sworn they'd be here. Where on Earth-"

"Uncle Ryouta!" A happy voice cried. Ryouta grinned and went down onto his knees, holding his arms open as a young boy raced to him. Kale blinked. He had blonde hair, blue eyes and wore an orange t-shirt with denim shorts. He was –minus the outfit- the spitting image of Ryouta. As the boy's arms circled Ryouta's neck, Kale couldn't help his features darken and his fists curl up in jealousy.

"Uncle! When did you get home? I've been waiting ages for you to come back!" The young boy yelled happily, grinning as Ryouta patted his back.

"Oh, I've been home a little while, just been a bit busy so I couldn't come out yet..." His voice trailed off as he pulled back from the little blonde's embrace. He then turned to Kale and beckoned him over. Kale stubbed a toe in the soft grass and pouted before he came over, hiding his clenched fists behind his back.

"Ryou, this is Kale. He's a boy I picked up from a place I've just visited" He placed a hand on both Kale's and Ryou's shoulders, pushing them a little closer together. Ryou looked Kale up and down, his face in a little disgust. When his eyes fell onto Kale's ears, he pulled a face and made a small "er" sound. Kale averted his eyes for a moment, his fists shaking behind his back, until Ryou stuck a hand out to him.

"Let's be friends" Ryou said, although his voice sounded a little reluctant. Kale looked down at the hand and nodded softly, slowly raising a hand up and brushing it against Ryou's before quickly dropping it back by his side. Ryou frowned and looked down awkwardly at the grass as his uncle rose to his feet, his hands leaving both of the boy's shoulders.

"Well, that settles it!" He cheered, ruffling the boys' hair lightly. "I'll go and get them strawberries, we can share, right? Oh, Ryou?"

"Yes, uncle?"

"Have you seen your cousin anywhere? You know what I'm like, I can never find my own daughter" Ryouta said, rubbing the back of his head.

Ryou nodded and pointed towards the house. "Yeah, she's in the kitchen with Keiichiro and mum" Ryouta grinned thankfully and walked hastily towards the house. Ryou waved his uncle goodbye and Kale didn't even glance back as he looked down towards his feet, his fists shaking again behind his back as he bit his lip.

There was a long, awkward silence between the two until Ryou finally spoke. "So..." He began, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking at Kale coolly. Kale lifted his head towards the sound of Ryou's voice. "What d'you wanna do? It might be a little while until _my_ uncle gets back here"

Kale frowned and his eyes went hard. He may not have any visible ears, but he could hear that snide "my" comment in Ryou's voice and the blonde kid knew it. "I... don't know" He squeaked, his voice cold and raspy for it wasn't used often. Ryou sighed and looked towards the picnic benches.

"Let's sit under that shade. It's too hot if we're going to talk out here" He muttered, leading the way over to the benches before setting himself down on them. Kale made sure to sit opposite him, not to keen on the idea of sitting beside him. And besides, sitting here he could easily kick the blonde in the shin if he annoyed him again. The two stared coldly at each other in silence for a while, until Ryou spoke again.

"So, how old are you Kale?"

"Seven-"

"Eight" Ryou cut in with a smirk. "I'm a year old – and wiser – than you"

Kale growled. He heard the "and wiser" remark too. He hissed lightly. This Ryou boy did like to be full of himself and try to lower Kale's esteem, didn't he? Kale's leg swung back and forth, as if it was powering up to kick the blonde.

"What games do you like to play then, Kale?" Ryou asked suddenly, catching Kale off guard for a moment. The dark haired boy frowned. That was a good point, what games did he like to play? He never got to play much with the other children at his old home and when he did they were always told off for being too loud and pretty soon any games were banned, so instead they would tell stories to each other. If Ryou had only asked him what story he liked, Kale knew that he could outdo him and name a story that he would never have heard of and would be begging for him to tell it.

As Kale opened his mouth to speak, a loud, high-pitched voice interrupted him. "Ryou! Uncle said he'll be out soon so get the table ready!"

Ryou growled and turned to the one who called him. "Why do I have to do it!?"

Kale turned in his seat, looking over and finding a girl walking over to them, smiling brightly. He blinked at her as she came wondering over. _Was this the daughter that Ryouta was talking about earlier? She looks nothing like him. _Kale said mentally as she came over to him. In truth, the girl looked nothing at all like Ryouta. For starters, she had bright ginger hair and her skin was very fair. Her hair looked a little like straw as the layers stuck out in several directions and it sat in level with her neck. She had big, sparkling green eyes and chubby cheeks dotted with freckles. She was dressed in a white dress that had a large picture of an orange on it and a pair of sandals to go with it.

After a moment, she noticed Kale and her eyes locked with his. Kale frowned. He knew what was coming; she'd look at him disgusted just like Ryou did.

"Hey! You must be Kale. My dad was just talking about you" She grinned and waved at him as she skipped over. She jumped dead on a spot before Kale and extended her hand. "I'm Charlie. Nice to meet you Kale!"


	3. The jealous birthday date

I do not own anything TMM related, I do own any OCs.

Enjoy.

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**Chapter Two: The birthday, the jealous and the date. **

A high-pitched ringing sound snapped at him, his bedside table rumbling deeply as the alarm clock jumped about on its surface. Grumbling he rolled over, slamming a hand on the top of the clock and silencing it. An eye peaked open from the silk sheets coiled around him. The warm light of the early sun filtered through the thin curtains and landed in a neat, glistening heap on the marble flooring. Loudly he sighed and turned away from the window, burying himself deeper into his makeshift cocoon. "It's too early..." He mumbled, sighing again as his eyes feel heavily shut and his face nuzzled into the soft pillow.

By now, Kale's room had changed completely from when he first moved into the Shirogane household six years ago. The bookcase had been done out and was now packed with different books on the environment and a few comic books too. A couple of feet from it was a desk that was busy with pens, paper and books alike, showing that clearly someone had been doing his homework. The old grandfather clock stood in its pride still, yet it hadn't been dusted in a while either, making it look as though it were ancient. On the walls were several posters, each one different from the next; one being an image of a rock band and next a cute looking kitten. If one were to scan around the posters now, it was actually pretty easy to tell that Kale had a thing for cats, there were pictures of them practically everywhere, completely taking over the lime coloured walls he once had.

For a while, his room remained completely silent. The calls of the morning birds were muffled by the window and the rest of the house was quiet. Kale smiled in his half-sleep. He could stay like this all day. Snug in a comfy bed, in the silence, having the time all to himself. Yes, it was heaven.

There was a knock on the door. "You up?"

Kale's eye peeked open and his smile stretched. Yet, it would be boring if he was all alone.

The person on the other side of the door didn't bother to wait for an answer and swung the door open, a wide grin spread across their features. Kale's eyes snapped shut and he hid his smile with the covers, he relaxed into the bed, pretending to be asleep.

The girl who stepped into the room frowned and strode over towards Kale's bed, hiding something behind her back as she leaned over him, inspecting him curiously. Ginger hair fell around her cheeks and the ends brushed against her chin softly as she retreated back. She looked annoyed as she tapped her bare foot against the floor, using one hand to pull down the itchy collar of her white nightdress. "Guess it'll have to wait till later" She muttered, turning to make her leave.

Yet, just as she went to make her exit, a voice caused her to freeze. "Oh no you don't!" Her head spun around to see who shouted her, only for a pair of arms to circle around her waist and pull her down. She gasped as she landed on the bed, her back leaned against a warm body that the strong arms belonged to. She pulled out the box that she was hiding behind her back and sat it on her stomach and tilted her head back to see a grinning Kale. "So, what is it?" He asked his voice fast and cheerful.

The girl smirked and went to push herself off him. "Oh no, you can wait now. You _were_ asleep" She said mischievously. However Kale pulled her back down and started tickling her. She laughed and held the box out at arm's length as her free hand tried to slap Kale's hands off her. "H-Hey cut it o-o-out!" She laughed, occasionally snorting between laughs.

Kale grinned and chuckled. "Oh no little piggy, I ain't letting go until I get my present!"

The girl snorted again, the hand she was using to try to regain her freedom slapping over her mouth and nose as she tried to control her laughter. "N-Not a pig"

"Oh, really?" Kale asked, pausing the tickling as he thought it over for a second, only to start again after. The girl waved her arms madly, both trying to pry herself away and keep the box out of Kale's reach. "Then why are you making all those piggy sounds, Charlie?"

"Al-Alright! You win! Now stop tic-tickling me!" The girl, Charlie, giggled. Kale smiled in triumph and released the girl, allowing her to catch her breath before seeking her attention again. The boy's eyes looked the girl up and down. Charlie Shirogane. The daughter of Ryouta Shirogane. She had grown up a lot since she was little. Her body had started to develop, yet she practically had the body of a scrawny man – something Kale loved to tease her for. She was growing her bright orange hair in high hopes of getting it past her hips. However, she only ever got it half-way down her back before she got it cut and shaped around her chin. She also had brown highlights placed in her hair, reducing its once vibrant orange colour and also rid of the block fringe she had in place of one that swept across her forehead and tucked nicely behind an ear. Not only did her hair change, but her face too, it wasn't anywhere near as round anymore but it was smoother and her chin came to a nice point. The freckles that gathered under her bottle green eyes had also vanished too, returning only during hot seasons.

As Kale untangled his legs from the sheets, Charlie turned to him, holding the box to her chest as she waited for him to escape from the wrath of his covers. Once he was free she passed him the box, a small, hopeful, smile crossed on her lips. Kale examined the box for a moment. It was wrapped in plain paper and had a blue ribbon wrapped around it, finishing off in a bow in the middle. He arched a brow and brought the box to the stub of his ex-ear and shook it a little. He made sure not to shake the box too violently, the last time he did that the item inside had shattered and not even the world's amount of superglue could fix it.

Bringing the box from his ear, he crossed his legs and set it between them, furiously opening it as Charlie watched anxiously. Soon enough the top of the box was open and Kale peered inside. A smile crossed his lips as his hand went into the box and hoisted out its contents. "I know it's not much but still..." Charlie muttered, her eyes flicking over to the other side of the room as Kale hauled his present out.

A kitten. Well, not a living, breathing kitten, but a stuffed one. It was black in colour with a patch over an eye and a cute bell around its thin neck. The doll was limp and hung laxly in Kale's hands, the kitten's head tilted up at him, as if it were real and looking up at him innocently. The boy smiled brightly down at the doll before his eyes lifted up to Charlie, who was still looking awkwardly over to another part of the room.

"I know that guys don't really have stuffed animals, but I knew you liked cats and my dad or uncle wouldn't allow a _real _one in so..." She chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

Kale tutted as he placed the kitten aside a moment and opened his arms. "Come on," he whispered, beckoning her over to him. Charlie gave a small smile and shuffled over to Kale, wrapped her arms around him as he did her. "It's great," he whispered, smiling still, "I would never ask for anything better"

Charlie seemed sceptical. "Kale, you're thirteen now, don't you feel as though you're too old for stuffed animals now? And I'm sure that my cousin has got something way better for you – he's a boy too after all"

Kale chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, he may be of my gender, but you're of my mind; you know what I want"

"Yeah, I suppose" Charlie breathed as she pulled back from Kale, sitting on her knees before him. "I _do_ know that mind of yours pretty well"

Kale grinned and nodded in agreement. He lifted a hand up and ruffled her short hair. "That's right and nobody else will" He said in a small voice as he lowered his hand. The two stayed there for a while, staring at one another in complete silence. As he stared at her, Kale knew that Charlie wanted to ask him something, she was so easily read. This also meant that he knew exactly what she wanted to ask: "Will you be going out again?" Despite the fact that today was his birthday – or at least the anniversary of another year in the Shirogane house – he knew that he'd be sent out again. They don't rest so neither should he, that's what Ryouta and his brother would always tell him. Kale always wished so badly that he could take Charlie with him, show her a new world completely, show her how the battlefield is outside of the fort. But he couldn't. It was forbidden and on top of that, he didn't want to put her in any danger. She was his closest friend. She was something he couldn't – mustn't – loose.

"Yeah," he said bluntly, "I'll be going out again today. Don't worry, I'll be fine, besides, Ryou's here to keep you company"

Charlie sucked in a breath of air. "But it's your birthday-"

"And it was the year before and I had to go"

"But, what if you don't come back-"

"I keep telling you Charlie, I'll always come back" Kale told her, his smile sorrowfully stretching. Charlie's shoulders jumped as she was about to cry, again.

"What if you don't though? What if the enemy is too strong? What will I do if you **die**!?" She yelled, broadening the word "die" showing how she wasn't afraid to say the word to him anymore. Kale laughed bitterly, taking her hand in his.

"I won't die, I promise. I'll always come back. How can I keep you that promise if I die? Huh?" He asked her softly, reaching forward and brushing away the stray tear that cascaded down her cheek.

Charlie grinned and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'm being stupid again, huh?"

Kale took the opportunity to prod at her. "Yeah, you're being an idiot, as usual"

Charlie huffed and stole her hand back from his, her eyes narrowing and smile stretching. "At least I don't have an obsession with babyish kittens"

"Do you want me to tickle you again?"

Charlie jumped from the bed and took off towards the door. "Bring it on!" She yelled behind her as Kale pounce from the bed and pursued her.

--- Later ---

Ryou followed his dad and uncle like a lost puppy, Keiichiro close by his side, having to take him away from them at times as they would go further into their mysterious "mew project". The young Shirogane did not want to spend the day with Kale, even if it was his birthday, he couldn't stand him. The two of them would constantly bicker and Ryou always felt an immense jealousy toward him. This envy was caused by one simple reason: Kale had a major part in the mew project. He wasn't even his father's or uncle's son and yet they put _him_ in the centre of it all. Ryou always felt that it should be _him_ who was first used in the experiment. It should be _him_ out there fighting bad guys. It should be _him _protecting the planet. Not some random kid who they plucked randomly from a mental home. It wasn't fair.

And now here he was, stuck out in the garden catching up on his "studies" – i.e. some stolen papers on the project from his dad's lab – as his cousin sat impatiently on the grass, waiting. She was sat with her knees tucked up to her chest and her chin sat on them, her lower lip pouted as she stared bored at the old climbing frame the three of them used to play on. Ryou glanced up from the papers he was reading and at her, frowning as he caught a glimpse of that look in her eye. The one she had whenever she was waiting for Kale to come home. The blonde boy growled and tugged on the collar of his white t-shirt, the heat aggravating him. That was something else he was jealous about. Kale had practically bewitched his cousin, his own flesh and blood, to come chasing after only him and ignore the boy who was _actually _related to her completely.

After he glanced at her, Ryou noticed how she was wearing that long, denim orange dress that he had gotten her for her thirteenth birthday a few months back. He smiled a little. At least she had _some _appreciation of him, but she could at least seek his attention from time to time, even if it was only when she was waiting for Kale to return.

The blonde tossed the papers on the table and leaned back, draping his arm over the back of the chair and fanning himself with his free hand. "So," he started, trying to pipe up a conversation with her, again. "How long do you plan on sitting there for?"

Charlie shrugged. "Till he gets back"

Ryou growled. "Well... You don't just have to sit there bored you know, we could find something to do if you want. How about we grab an ice cream? It's boiling after all"

Charlie shook her head. "Nah, I'm not hungry; thanks though"

Ryou bit his lip in annoyance. "C'mon Charlie, seriously, why don't _we_ just spend a little time together. I mean, I'm your _cousin _and you hardly speak to me anymore" He blurted unintentionally. He slapped a hand over his mouth towards the end, stopping himself before anymore words rolled off his tongue.

Charlie turned to him, looking in thought for a while. "Well... it'll be boring with just the two of us, so..." She jumped to her feet and raced over to him, hands clasped together and eyes sparkling. "We could go and _find_ Kale and then get an ice cream!"

Ryou nearly fell off the bench. "Excuse me!?"

"Yeah, we'll find him and then go for some food together to cool off"

"But I don't think that's such a good idea Charlie, we should just go alone" Ryou muttered, lifting himself up from his seat and rounding the table towards her.

Charlie's hands fell and her eyes lost their sparkle. "I know you and Kale don't really like each other, but this'll be good for you. You live with each other, so you should get used to it"

"But I just want to spend time with only YOU!" Ryou grabbed the girl by her shoulders. Charlie blinked and flinched under his grasp, somewhat stunned. Upon realising what he was doing, Ryou lowered his hands and turned his face away. "I just want to spend time with you"

Charlie's brows lowered and she smiled bitterly. "OK Ryou, we'll go together, just us two"

Ryou blinked and whisked his face back to her. "Really?"

Charlie shrugged and extended her smile. "Yeah, why not?"

--- Downtown, earlier ---

Kale had been called out, yet again, soon after he had finished chasing Charlie around the house. He was interrupted by her father who told him to get dressed and head on out to the park to take care of another problem. Kale made a quick change into his yellow shirt, baggy leather jacket and jeans. He tied his hair into a ponytail to keep it out of the way as he raced down to the park.

Upon making it to the tall, iron gates, he found himself unable to make his way in as the gates were blocked with hundreds of people racing to an escape as the cries of a beast stood firm in the green park behind them. Kale took no chances with the crowd and trusted his instincts as he leapt up to the trees and drove through them, pouncing from one to the next until the silhouette of a giant monster came to his view. He smirked. "Found you" He breathed, producing a small object from his pocket.

Tossing the tiny item up in the air, he caught it tightly in his fist and his smirked stretched. He held the item close to his lips and dragged it across them and he closed his eyes as the tingling sensation from his lips surged through his body. He felt his body mould and morph as he changed into something new. He felt the skin of his cheek pull back a little. Something grew up steadily from the place his ears should have been and he also felt his tailbone extend and sway behind him. When his eyes snapped open they were amber and had slits for pupils. Some sandy fur grew from his cheeks and stretched up to the pointed cat ears sticking out of his head. His nose wriggled, twitching the whiskers that poked out of his cheeks. He glanced behind him, finding a cat tail swinging lazily back and forth. It was a sandy coloured much like the fur on his cheeks only with dark stripes going across them.

He looked down at the small, dark, oval shaped object in hand. A pendent. Attached to the pendent was a short chain, which he used to fasten the dark pendent around his neck. He waved a hand and held the other close to his lips. "Yo! I'm over here!" He yelled, grinning as the silhouette turned towards him. It was some kind of rat or mouse with sharp teeth, flashing pink eyes and a mutated spinal cord that stuck out dramatically against the beast's yellowing fur.

"Well, aren't you just a beautiful date for me?" He said in a teasing tone as the creature hissed and advance towards him. "Well, miss, I am the mew of this town and I'm here to make sure you don't cause havoc. So stay still so I can beat you quickly, kay?"


End file.
